Refrigerating apparatus



April 1936- 0. M SUMMERS 'REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed April 4, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l y 4 INVENTOR JQ/A April 28, 1936. QMSUMMERS I 2,033,912?

I REFRIGERATINGAPPAEATUS Original Filed April 4, 1930 3 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I J I 30 a a a a a a a a /i=1? 8 M'WM NVENT OR 9 2 1 ATTORNEY o. M.'SUMMERS 2,038,912

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed April 4, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 2 8,

INVENTOR t/ w V "ATTORNE Y Patented Apr. 28, 1936 wel Otto- M. SummersQDayton; hio,' assignor, by

mesne assignments; to General Motors Corpoi ration, a corporation of Delaware Application April 4,'1930,."Serial No."441;463-

I Renewed September 28, 19.3.4 I e A 12 Claims.

. This invention relates to refrigerating .apparatus, and more particularly to a heatexchange element. I

lior one of its objects this invention'contemplates a heat exchange element jcomprising' a looped coil provided with spaced fins mounted thereon. More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a continuous metal ,tube' bent to form a heat exchange element having a plurality of reverse bends and a plurality of straight portions, the straight portions beingprovided with a plurality/of parallel notched strip fins mounted thereon, and the notches being provided with flanges along the edges thereof." Further objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description, reference being had to the accom-' panying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of oneform of'the: present invention is Fig. 1B is a view' in section taken on line;

lB-IB of Fig. 1; e R

Fig. 2 is a view in elevationoi the end member shown in Fig. 1; v e

Fig. 3 is a view in sectionof a double pipe condenser taken on a line correspondingto the line IA|A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view inelevation of an end. member used in a double pipe condenser; I e v i Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of apparatus used in constructing the condenser;

Fig, 6 is aview in section taken on the line 66 oi? Fig. 5 and showing additional apparatus.

for performing a step in the process; I Fig. 7 is a. view in section on the line. 'i-I of Fig. 6 showing the coil located within the notches of the fins;

Fig. 8 is a detailed view 0! part of the finished condenser; Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of one of the uncompleted strip fins;

Fig. 10 is a view in elevation oi'a completed modified form of condenser;

Fig. 11 is a view in elevation of a paratus for :3 erforming a, step in the process of assembling the condenser shown in Fig." 10;" Figs. 12, 13, and 14 are sectional views of apparatus used in constructing the condenser and showing the condenser at diiferent points of its 55 manufacture;

(or 251-252) a 1 1 Fig. 15 is a viewin elevation of an uncompleted v strip fin used in the modified form of apparatus. For purposes of illustration, a heat exchange element such as contemplated by thisinvention may be a refrigerating condenser, various forms 5 of which have beenillustrated 'on the drawings and are hereafter 'fully, described. Obviously,

a plurality of straight portions I2. The condenser l5v may be supported in'assembled form by means. of theend pieces [3, shown more clearlyin Fig.2 asbeing provided with the elongated openings M for the reception'of thebent portions of the tube i0; and with7the circularl opening ii for. 20

the reception orga straight portion vof the tube; Between the end members 13 there is provided a plurality of fins which may take the form or metal 'strip'flnsi 6. The fins l6 are provided with a plurality of spaced notches i1 extending 2 inwardly from the-lateral edge of thefin. Along the outer edges ofvthe notches the fins are bent' at substantially 90 to provide flanges l8 against which the straight portions of the tubing I! are adaptedto bear. As'shown in the drawings, thesev 30 flanges extendalong the side edges oi the notches andaround the semieci-rcular edge 01' the inner.

extremity of the notches. The flanges along the;

side edges 01' theno'tch es are all substantially and the flanges i8 contact'a portion of -the;outer periphery of the tubing i2 and extend di ainet'rically beyond the remaining portionof the..pe

riphery to serve as orbaflies for the air 4 currents. In actual operation,'a fan is provided for drawingoriorcing air over the condenser. In the construction shown, the fan wouldbe locatedeither in 'i'ront of or in back of-the con- I denser and would draw or force the air through the condenser as indicated by'the arrows shown. in Figure 1A. Inthismanner, the flanges i8 serve as bafiles and prevent the formation of eddy currents on the far side of the coil, aifiter; the air has passed thereover; The baiiles l8 would also serve as bailiesin the same manner with the I air traveling in the opposite direction. it In Fig. 1, a single pipe condenser. has been shown, that is, a condenser formed 01 a single, continuous tube I0 bent into theform shown, but" obviously a double pipe condenser could be constructed in the same manner. For example, Figs. 3 and 4 disclose a double pipe condenser in section, showing the fins provided with the notches I 1' extending inwardly from both edges thereof. In this type of construction, the end member i3 is provided with two sets of elongated openings II for the-reception'of the twosets of reverse bends.

The method of and apparatus for assembling or manufacturing the condenser shown in Fig. 1, and more particularly the apparatus for and the method of attaching the fins liito the serpentine coil III will now be described. In Figs. 5 to 9 ine elusive, apparatus for manufacturing or assembling the condenser disclosed in Fig. 1 is shown. The tubing l is first bent into the form of a serpentine coil, for example into the form shown in Fig. 1. The fin l6, which may take the form of metal strip fins, are cutout to fit this form of condenser. For example each strip fin I6 is provided with notches I1 extending inwardlyfrom the one edge of the fin and spaced aparta distance equal to the space between the straightpor tions of the tubing. These notches may be formed by cutting out a piece of metal as indicated at I 8 in Fig. 9 and by bending back the fin as indicated for instance, by the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 9 to form flanges. After the notch has been formed the fins should be assembled in a frame member II as shown in Fig. which member is provided with a passage 3| similar to the shape of the condenser to be made. The member 3!! is also provided with a plurality of slots'liii for the reception of the strip fins so that the fins may be held in a vertical position with the notches facing upwardly. The frame 30 with the strip fins l6 arranged therein may then be placed in a press and the serpentine coil III placed above the fins with the straight portions of the serpentine coil corresponding to thenotches in the fins as shown in Fig. 6. The member 32, which is intended to indicate a part of the press or other apparatus used for forcing the tube into the fins, is then brought to bear upon the serpentine coil ill. The coil I0 is thus forced into the notches in the strip fins by lateral movement of the coil. After this operation, the tubing 10, with the fins l 6 attached thereto by friction, may be withdrawn from the frame member 30 and maybe provided with the end members It by slipping the latter over the bent edges of the tube. The condenser may then be dip-soldered, if d'esired,-to securely attach the fins and the end members to the tube.

In Figs. IOthrough inclusive, I have disclosed the method of and apparatus for assembling a modified form of condenser. This condenser is of the double pipe type and difiers from that described in Fig. 1 only in the specific design thereof;-that is, some of the straight portions of the condenser are considerably shorter than others to provide a central space 50. The purpose of such a design is to provide for a more convenient arrangement in connection with a refrigerating compressor and the motor for driving the compressor, whereby the condenser may be located between the motor and compressor and the motor shaft may pass through the space ill. The method of manufacturing or assembling this type of condenser is essentially the same as that described for the single pipe condenser. The strip fins are first provided with the notches extending inwardly from both edges of the fin by cutting out the portions 48 as indicated in Fig. 15 and bendthe metal surrounding the slot #0 on the dotted lines. After the notches have been formed, the fins are assembled in the frame member II which is similar to the frame member 30, the fins being held in a vertical position in the frame with one set of notches extending upwardly. The tubing 10', which has previously been bent into the desired form, is then placed above the fins with the straight portions corresponding to the notches therein. The tubing III" is then forced downwardly into the notches by means of the press member 42. After one tube has been forced into the fins from one edge thereof, the fins and the tube are withdrawn from the frame member 4i and placed in a second frame 45 similar to the frame I, but constructed to accommodate the partly completed condenser as shown in Fig. 12. The second tubing I0" is then forced into the second set of notches, and after removal the end members 43 corresponding to the end members l3 of Fig. 1 may then be placed on the condenser by lateral movement of the end member over the bent edges of the tube. The whole unit may then be dip-soldered to provide complete contact between the metal fins and the serpentine coil.

In all modifications, the fins are first provided with the notches extending from a lateral edge of the fln, so that the condenser may be assembled by what I term the side entry of the serpentine into the notched fins. It should be noted that the amount of metal removed from the strip fins is relatively small and advantage is taken of practically all of the fin for the dissipation of heat. In addition the surface contact between the tubing and the fins is relatively large due to the semi-circular flange engaging the surface of the tube, which contact is further increased by dipsoidering the whole assembly.

While I have described the notches as formed by cutting or punching out the small slots as shown at 40 and i9, it is obvious that other ways of forming the notches may be employed. For example the notches may be formed by the step by step process, that is by first cutting out a semicircular opening slightly smaller than the diameter of tubing and thereafter slitting the tubing from the opening to one edge of the fin and bending back the edges of the slit to form a slot, at the same time bending back the edge of the semi-circular opening to provide the semi-circular flange contacting the serpentine coil. Or, if so desired, the fins may be provided witha narrow slit by cutting out a portion similar to the portion I 9 or III, and the coil may be forced inwardly through this slit, thereby forming the I lateral flanges by the coil itself.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A heat exchange device including a conduit formed into a serpentine coil, a plurality of strip fins each having a plurality of notches along one edge of said fin bridging said conduit and flanges alongthe straight edges of said notches, said edge forming between said flanges and with a similar edge on an adjacent fin a fluid flow passage substantially as described.

2. A heat exchange device including a conduit bent into a serpentine coil having a plurality of spaced straight parallel portions, a plurality of metal strip fins each provided with a plurality of notches along one edge of said fin bridging the straight portions of said tube and flanges exalong one edge of said fin bridging the straight" portions of said conduit flanges along the edges of said notches, said edge forming between said flanges and with a similar edge on an adjacent fin a fluid flow passage, said fins being soldered to the straight portions of said conduit.

4. A heat exchange device including a conduit formed into a serpentine coil having a plurality of straight parallel portions, a plurality of metal strip flns each provided with a plurality of notches bridging the straight portions of said conduit, flanges along the edges of said notches,

said fins being soldered to the straight portions of said conduit and end members provided with elongated openings for the reception of the bent ends of the conduit. I

5. A heat exchange unit comprising a plurality of long continuous conduits, each conduit bent into a serpentine coil' having a plurality of straight portions, a plurality, of strip fins, each strip fin having a pluralityof notches extending inwardly from one edge thereof and bridging the straight portions of one of said conduits, and a plurality of notches extending inwardly from the opposite edge thereof and bridging the straight portions of the second conduit, and flanges extending along the straight edges of all of said notches. I

6. A heat exchange device including two sets of substantially straight portions, a plurality of strip fins, each strip fin being provided with a plurality of notches extending inwardly from one edge thereof and bridging one set of straight portions,

ofsubstantially straight portions and a plurality of strip fins, each provided with a plurality of notches along one edge of said fin bridging said portions, and flanges along the edges of said notches, said notches and flanges contacting said straight portions along a portion of the outer periphery and extending diametrically beyond the remaining portion of said periphery, said edge forming between said flanges and with a similar edge on an adjacent fin a fluid flow-passage, said strip fins being soldered to said straight portions.

8. A heat exchanger device including a plurality of substantially straight portions, one or more strip fins, each provided with a plurality of notches along one edge of said fin bridging said portions, end members brid in said portions, said notches and flanges contacting said straight portions alonga portion of the outer periphery and extending diametrically beyond the remaining portion of said periphery, said edge forming betweensaid flanges and with a similar edge on an adjacent fln a fluid fiowv passage and said strip fins being soldered to said straight portions substantially as described. I

9. A heat exchange unit comprising a plurality of long continuous conduits, each conduit bent into a serpentine coil having a pluralty of straight portions, a plurality of strip fins, each strip fin having a plurality of notches on the air-flow side of substantially the same width as and of longer depth than the external dimension of one of said conduits and extending inwardly from one edge thereof and bridging the straight portions of one of said conduits, and a plurality of hotches extending inwardly from the opposite edge thereof of substantially thesame width as and of longer depth than the external dimension I of the other of said conduits and bridging the straight portions'of the second conduit.

10. A heat exchange device including two sets of independently movable and substantially straight portions of conduits, a plurality of strip fins, each stripfin being provided with a plurality of notches on the air-flow side extending inward- .ly from one edge thereof of substantially the same width as and of longer depth than the external dimension of'one set of said straight portions and bridging one set of straight portions, and a plurality of notches extending inwardly from the opposite edge thereof of substantially the same width as and of longer depth than the external dimension of the straight portions of the second set and bridging the straight portions of thesec 0nd set. p

11. A heat exchange unit comprising .a plurality of substantially parallel strip fins, each fin having aplurality of notches on the air-flow sion of the cooperating conduit section.

12. A heat exchange unit comprising a plurality of substantially parallel strip fins, each fin having a plurality of notches on the air-flow side extending inwardly from one edge. thereof and a plurality of notches extending inwardly from the opposite edge thereof, and a'plurality of independently movable sets of conduit sections extending transversely of said fins in said notches on opposite sides of said strip fins, said notches being of substantially the same 'widthas and of longer depth than the external dimension of the cooperating conduit section. 

